Home For The Holidays

Part 1

Maybe I will make pasta and add some cheese that should be perfect right? , Jabulile speaking to herself in the kitchen as she was preparing dinner for the reunion. “I am running out of time mom will…” before she could complete the sentence my mother Josephina walks in dressed up and her face was not happy. “Jabulile what did I say about working in that hell hole for the whole night? Do you see how dirty my house is you have not even started preparing dinner you useless child and if you think we will eat pasta think again. My son Ntsika is coming and I promised him home range chicken so make yourself useful and catch one also clean my house!.”

As my mother walked I felt sorry for my sister I mean she only made one mistake which was to fall pregnant and my parents did not hesitate they took her out of school as she was a disgrace, from then on she has been nothing but the carer of this household she does everything my parents don’t do. While they slide away to pray and run a ministry that doesn’t even make enough to feed us Jabulile will work all day and night at the tavern that was once my fathers before he became a pastor.

“Pass me the knife Nqaba and put that book down make yourself useful for once! “, Jabulile shouting at me. I passed the knife shortly Nombuso walked in and said, “lighten up sis our favourite brother is coming home the least you can do is cook dinner with a smile before you give us food poisoning”. “I would smile if you were to actually help out once in a while and put down that phone”, Jabulile sarcastically replying to Nombusos comment.

“Oh well I tried. Nqaba let us take a walk to the shop I need airtime”. I was not one to say no seeing that I needed to get out of the house. I needed some fresh air and our village was beautiful especially when the sun was setting. Orange and peach sky, the sound of birds and the light wind that blew was just the break I needed. As we were about to get to the shops I saw a figure approaching us that looked like my brother he came running as he screamed “Nqaba!” Still rubbing my eyes as I walked towards this person screaming out my name I noticed it was Nkosiyabo , my brother, he looked so different, clean but still he was not the smiling type. Finally we meet, “brother how many years has it been?” Nkosiyabo asks me. “3 years brothers I did not think you were still alive you never even called to check on us”, I responded. “You know your parents and I don’t see eye to eye”, Nkosiyabo responded, he went on to ask,” has Ntsika arrived I have unfinished business with that one?” I told him no.
 
 
 
Nombuso screamed from the top of her lungs seeing her partner in crime Nkosiyabo as we walked back home they could not stop reminiscing of their great times by great times they meant their promiscuous moments. As we approached the house I could already smell the aroma of spices from the stew Jabulile was making I could hear her humming before the sound of the door opening stopped her and as she looked it was not just me and her annoying sister but her older brother, her eyes filled up with tears in a split second it was then I could see her vulnerability. Nkosiyabo hurries to hug his sister so tight, a hug that spoke in so many ways while we stood to witness that moment a car pulls in hooting and playing music so loud.

My mother and father ran out of their safe haven going to see what was happening outside, we all ran out to see. It was Ntsika the golden child the one our parents saw as the perfect one but we knew he was not perfect, our parents always said we were jealous of him because he had a lavish life he was a doctor after all and us ?, we were useless kids. My mother welcomes him with hugs and kisses I had not seen her smile that much in a while and my dad I had not seen him show any emotion at all. We all greet each other and Jabulile rushes back to the kitchen to set up the table we were now ready to have dinner.

As we were about to sit I could tell there was some tension between Nkosiyabo and Ntsika I mean after all Nkosiyabo had mentioned he had unfinished business with him. As we sat down while waiting for food I asked Ntsika how was life in Johannesburg as he was about to answer my mother cuts off “This is not the place to catch up we are going to have dinner my son is hungry therefore leave him alone.”

There was some tension in table for a minute when Nombuso joking said, “I see Ntsika is still a mama’s boy even now, where are the diapers.” We all burst in laughter mom continues to say “he will forever be my young one”. Nkosiyabo responds by saying “if you knew that your young one wasn’t so young back in johanesburg.” Ntsika coughs uncontrollably we noticed he was choking on his own drink he then gets up to go get some fresh air. Mom asks “what do you mean by that Nkosiyabo?” He shrugs his shoulders and gets up following Ntsika. “Are you okay brother?” Nkosiyabo asks Ntsika. Ntsika says “you are actually asking me that? Do you realise what you almost did inside there? I told you I do not have money Nkosiyabo why can’t you leave me alone!” We overheard the conversation when mom got up to see what was happening obviously very infuriated and ready to face Nkosiyabo on taxing his young brother.
 
 
She bolted out of the door “what is going on out here! Nkosiyabo? Ntsika? Are you going to answer me?” Nkosiyabo said “ask your precious son he is not who you think he is”. Mom looking at Ntsika with a dead stare “are you going to tell me what is going on?” Before Ntsika could answer Nkosiyabo blurted out “you son is gay”. Mom fainted and was rushed to hospital. In disbelief that her son was the one thing she despised and we all knew the truth. The cat was out of the bag.